Day one of the Duffy trial, and we saw two things – the Crown laying out a case, including a bunch of evidence that was made available to the media, that showed a pattern of abuse by Duffy when it came to the claiming of expenses, such that he was claiming per diems on the day his appointment was announced, never mind that he wasn’t even sworn in yet, and that he was using one contract to a friend as a slush fund for things the Senate wouldn’t pay out. The crux is common sense – no reasonable person would make these kinds of claims. The defence, meanwhile, is arguing that the rules were so loose that it’s not Duffy’s fault, and everyone else in the Senate is doing it. I have a problem with that because no, everyone else is not doing it, and it breaches the good faith that Duffy should have been exercising from his office. Much of it stems to the very fact that Duffy should never have been appointed as a senator for PEI, but when Stephen Harper made that decision, Duffy didn’t live up to his end of the implicit deal. In conversations that I have had with those who used to work in the Liberal Senate Leader’s office back in the day when they formed government, if they were to appoint someone who didn’t currently live in the province that they were to represent, they ensured that they had their ducks in a row beforehand. This meant that the person was told they were being considered for an appointment – and if they told anyone, that wouldn’t happen – but in the interim they had to ensure that they had the driver’s licence, health card, election registration, licence plates, the works – taken care of beforehand. In Duffy’s case, it would likely have meant selling his home in Kanata and ensuring he had one in PEI that he could access year-round rather than a summer cottage, while maintaining either an apartment or a small condo near the Hill as his secondary residence. It’s really a no-brainer, but Duffy apparently wasn’t able to comprehend that and allegedly looked for as many loopholes as he could to maximise what he could claim. Every other senator I have ever spoken to, including some very long-time ones, is aghast at that kind of behaviour, and they do their utmost to minimise what they claim. I am also dubious about this “conspiracy” to “force” Duffy to repay claims that he may have been able to make legitimately – but remember that there were always political considerations at play, and even if some of those claims were legal, they would not have been politically sound and Duffy should have known this from the start. His cries of victimhood ring hollow, but he looks to be set on trying to win the trial on pure technicalities. Nicholas Köhler has his observations here, while the Ottawa Citizen’s Gargoyle shows some of the behind the scenes moments from the day.

Good reads:

• Our own government is facing a critical shortage of surveillance data from RADARSAT-2, but we’re giving away data to Ukraine.
• The US says that we may need to replace missile sensors in the Arctic within ten years. Maybe if we start the procurement process now, we’ll have them in 15.
• Harper is hinting that there will be no stimulus in the budget.
• Colby Cosh sets the stage for the Alberta election, which was announced yesterday.
• My column this week looks at why you can’t simply stop funding the Senate, as people keep suggesting.

Odds and ends:

Former CBC meteorologist Claire Martin appears to be seeking the Green Party nomination in North Vancouver.

The owners of the Goodlife fitness chain are lobbying hard for an adult fitness tax credit.

And apparently PMO staff can’t spell things properly on media passes. Slow clap.

PC's actual campaign slogan: "who else 'ya really gonna vote for? ¯_(ツ)_/¯" #abvote

— Jen Gerson (@jengerson) April 8, 2015